


Becoming Teddy

by p0ttergirly



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:27:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26835931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/p0ttergirly/pseuds/p0ttergirly
Summary: Teddy Lupin-Potter, raised by Harry and Ginny, is going into his sixth year at Hogwarts. As Teddy keeps up with his crazy family and mischief-making mates, will the possibility of a crush between lifelong friends spark a new romance? Read as Teddy learns how to navigate love and the rocky waters of his teenage life- with his family always there along the way.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Teddy Lupin/Victoire Weasley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfic I've ever posted, so I'm very excited about it. It follows one of my favorite next-gen characters, Teddy, growing up as the fun-loving, mischief-making teen I picture him as. I would love to hear your thoughts-good or bad. Hope y'all enjoy!

Chapter 1 

I, Teddy Remus Lupin-Potter, consider myself to be a pretty lucky bloke. I mean, if you forget about the fact I was orphaned before I could even sit up, and left grandmother-less by the ripe old age of eighteen months, I think I have it really good. My parents, Harry and Ginny Potter, formally adopted me a bit before both my third birthday and their own wedding, which essentially gave me about the coolest family in the world. Seriously, who can say they are the son of the vanquisher of the Dark Lord and former Holyhead Harpie player? Not to mention my other parents, Remus and Nymphadora. It sucks I don’t get the privilege of knowing them, but my family makes sure I get to hear loads of stories about them. And I still have my mum’s trademark color-changing hair. Makes entertaining my small army of cousins quite fun. Lately, I’ve been keeping it green to annoy my little brother Jamie (“C’mon, Ted, you’re betraying Gryffindor!”), but it’s subject to change at just about any time. 

Right now, though? Not feeling so lucky. I stared at the flyer my friend, Ollie Humberstone, had sent me, along with his accompanying letter. It was advertising a concert in Muggle London tomorrow for a group called “Hearthead”, about the coolest band of all time. They sang punk rock, wore all black, and had tongue piercings. Tongue piercings! Undeniably cool. However, Ms. Ginerva Weasley certainly did not approve of their music, and had tried about a thousand times to forbid me from listening to “that brain-rotting garbage”. My dad always stopped her- something about how forbidding something made it more intriguing? I dunno. But one thing was for sure. Neither of my parents would approve of what Ollie was trying to get me and my friends, Victoire, Max, and Piper, to do. Buying tickets to go see Hearthead in dangerous *gasp* Muggle London by ourselves wasn’t really something my overprotective parents would go for. 

I sighed. I hadn’t seen my best friend, Victoire, in forever (aka six whole days). And she would love this! Right at the thought of her, I felt another owl swoop in my open window over my head. Vic’s fuzzy owl, Curly. Of course. I quickly untied it and read the short note. 

We are going to the concert, Ted!!!! No arguments. 😊 

Well, that just about settled it. I had to somehow convince my parents to let me go, if that meant pleasing Victoire. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I knocked on the door of my dad’s study where I knew he’d be finishing off paperwork for the Auror Office. Really, it was quite a difficult decision, choosing between asking my mum versus dad for permission to go to the concert. Most of the time, Dad was the stricter parent, and I could count on Mum for a more forgiving approach. This, though? My mum would say no before the words “Hearthead” could leave my mouth. Dad would at least give me a chance. 

“Come in, Teddy,” Dad answered. I pushed open the door and sat down on the big cushioned chair kept in the corner. I quickly assessed the situation. My dad was leaning back in his chair with minimal papers in front of him. Thank Merlin. The man was probably in a good mood. 

“Dad, I gotta ask you something. And before you say no, can you promise to at least think about it? Pretty please?” 

He raised an eyebrow at my request. “Please don’t tell me you blew up the neighbor’s shed again.” I stifled a frown at the memory. That particular incident did not end well for me. 

“Nope. That was definitely a one-time thing.” 

Dad set down his quill and looked carefully at me. “Alright, then. What is it, son?” 

I took a deep breath and did my best to carefully word the question. “Ollie invited me to go to a Hearthead concert with my friend's tomorrow night. Please, dad? I really wanna go!” 

He leaned back in his chair, considering. “Where is this concert?” 

“Muggle London.” Yikes. I dropped the bomb. 

“You and your friends want to go to Muggle London by yourselves?” He furrowed his brows and crossed his arms. “To see those strange Muggle blokes dressed in leather and metal?” 

One would think that Head Auror Harry Potter himself would be a bit more brave with his eldest and let me live life a little. Unlucky for me, he was too concerned with the bad witches and wizards of the world to allow any real fun. “Yes, dad. We would have our wands and be so careful. It would be cool to see my all-time favorite band in person,” I argued. 

Dad leaned forward to put his elbows on the desk and looked at me hard. “I understand that, Teddy. But think about what you’re asking me, here. Five underage teenagers at a random concert in downtown London with who knows who? Doesn’t quite sound like the recipe for success, if you ask me.” 

This was maddening. I was sixteen after all, not six! “But we would be careful,” I huffed, leaning to the back of the chair for dramatic effect. 

“I know you’d be careful, son. But it doesn’t change what I do for a living and the kind of things I’ve seen. There are still bad witches and wizards and even Muggles everywhere. I’m not sure I’m ready to watch my son dive headfirst into it all,” said Dad pointedly. I sighed, feeling defeated. I doubted any of my other friends were having such a hard time obtaining permission, and we were all in the same year at school. Well, with the exception of Vic, who was one below and going into her fifth, but that was beside the point. 

This was not going in the direction I was hoping it would. It wasn’t as if any former major Death Eaters were out walking around anymore! “Before you say no, can you at least consider my point of view a little longer? I wanna go more than anything.” I hit him with the puppy eyes, though they quit working around the time Lily was born. 

He grinned and returned to his papers, signing one with plenty of flourish. “Yes, Teddy, I’ll think about it some more. But no promises. I need to get your mum’s opinion, anyway, or she may decide to hex me into oblivion for deciding without her. Something I’d rather avoid.” 

I groaned dramatically. “Dad, my whole point in coming to you was avoiding Mum and her anti-Hearthead campaign!” 

He laughed and stood up from the desk, ruffling my lime green hair. “I like your strategy. You know your mother, though. Gin would have my head if I made a decision like this without her.” 

Dumb parents. I loved them about a million times over, but they would be the death of my social life. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was the day of the Hearthead concert. A bright, sunny Saturday morning and us Potter’s were having a delicious breakfast, courtesy of my mum’s expert cooking skills. Dad was flipping through the Daily Prophet as he sipped his tea, while mum bustled through the kitchen flipping my favorite blueberry pancakes. I, however, was doing my best not to strangle my little brother James, who was ten and going through an especially annoying phase of hyperactivity. 

“Jamie, stop blowing bubbles in your milk! It’s spilling into my eggs!” I elbowed him in the ribs. Just a little brotherly warning, right? 

“Mum! Teddy’s being mean again!” 

“Teddy-” 

“I’m not being mean.” 

“Yes you are!” 

I shoved a forkful of eggs in my mouth and rolled my eyes. “Mean would be sawing your broom in half. Which I’m highly considering since you won’t stop blowing those damn bubbles!” 

8-year-old Albus’s jaw dropped. My baby sister Lily gasped from her seat. Oops. "Teddy, that’s a naughty word!” 

Jeesh, the dramatics with these people were insane. 

Alright, I’ll admit it. I was in a bit of a bad mood since Ollie, Max, and Piper had all owled me their success in getting permission from their parents last night. That made everyone Hearthead-ready but Vic and I. 

I caught a dangerous look from Dad across the table and suddenly found myself blushing. “You would think someone waiting for permission to do something that required a lot of responsibility would think to watch his mouth and reign in his temper.” 

Suddenly, my mum was very interested in our conversation and poked her head up from the chaos in the kitchen. “Hmm? What does Teddy want to do?” 

I gave a pleadingly apologetic look to my dad. There was a very good chance my mum would shoot down absolutely anything that remotely had to do with Hearthead. It was awfully hypocritical, considering I’ve found posters in her old room at the Burrow supporting the Weird Sisters. But then again, parents were often hypocritical. 

Dad explained the situation to Mum. And really, I need to give the man more credit sometimes. Even though he was obviously skeptical yesterday, he seemed to be trying to paint my case in a good light. You know, I thought, maybe I was being overly doubtful! Maybe my parents would see that I was responsible and a reasonable young man. Maybe they would give me a chance. 

“That sounds wicked!” announced Jamie at the finish of Dad’s explanation. “I wanna see Hearthead, too, Mum!” 

“Me too!” 

“Me three!” 

Mum shot my dad a look as the little ones chimed their thoughts, folding her arms in a very Ginny-like fashion. “None of you will be going to that concert.” 

The little ones groaned in harmony and went back to bickering over who would get the last pancake. I, however, was outraged. “What?!” 

My parents shared yet another infuriating look between each other. It was like their own secret language of parental communication. How was I supposed to know what they were thinking? 

Mum sighed as she began magicking the griddle and spoons and forks to dance into the sink. “Teddy, love, I’m sorry. I know how much you like Hearthead, but downtown London is not the place to be so young.” My siblings began clearing their plates and ran upstairs to carry on with whatever game they were currently into. That left me to deal with my parents. 

“You just don’t like their music. For no reason, I might add.” I crossed my arms. 

“That’s not the case-” 

“No, I know it is. You both just don’t trust me with anything!” 

Dad folded the Prophet. “Ted, we trust you plenty, but your mother is right. London is dangerous, plain and simple.” 

Yet again, I found myself rolling my eyes. “Oh, you’re one to talk about dangerous. Don’t you fight dark wizards for a living?” I asked, wishing my brain would connect to my mouth and stop it from being so cheeky. 

Before my dad, who was looking progressively frustrated, could respond, my mum set down her wand and slid into the chair next to me. “We have good reason not to allow you into London by yourself, Teddy.” 

“I wouldn’t be by myself, though. I’d be with my friends! Are you both too thick to understand?” 

Dad cleared his throat, his voice coming out in a low rumble. “Teddy, I suggest you lose the attitude right about now, before you're not able to go anywhere at all. If you cannot speak civilly, we can certainly have this discussion later.” 

I blanched and rose up from my chair, his words sparking more defiance in me. “This is ridiculous, and you know it! There’s no good reason for me not to go! I’m plenty responsible, yet you won’t trust me!” 

“Well, I’m certainly not seeing much proof of this responsibility right now, young man.” 

“Probably because this is just about the stupidest shite I’ve ever heard!” I shouted before I could stop myself. 

At those words, my dad stood up abruptly, mirroring me. He kept the same low volume as before. “That is quite enough, Edward Remus. I’ve heard way too much of this disrespectful attitude. You do not talk to your mother or I like that- I don’t particularly care how old or mature you feel you are. You know better.” He crossed his arms. “Go to your room. Now.” 

Bloody hell. All the indignation at the unfairness of it all suddenly drained my body at the disappointed look on my father’s face. It left me feeling like a ginormous dolt. I managed to murmur a “Yes, sir,” before pushing in my chair and making my way to my room. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Perhaps I would’ve considered arguing back at the sentence to my room if the resentment I earlier felt was still coursing through my veins. But my dad was definitely correct about one point. I didn’t speak to my parents like that. I had too much respect for them after all they’d done for me to backtalk in such a way. It’s really not as if they’d tolerate it, anyway. The only time I ever remember truly disrespecting my mother was when I was twelve, and was quickly dissuaded from ever repeating that idea after a very unpleasant conversation with my father. Sure, I had a streak for getting into a solid amount of mischief. Between late night escapades in Hogwarts halls and a handful of incidents with girls in broom closets, one could say I was notorious for getting into trouble. How could I not? I had two little brothers who I had to show the reins, not to mention my little princess Lily. Both my father and grandfather were Marauders, for crying out loud. It was just inevitable. A reputation for trouble was definitely an understatement- playing the ringleader in pranks was just so thrilling. Disrespectful, though? It wasn’t really my style. My mum says it’s because I have a good heart and want to treat others kindly. Personally, I think it’s because although my parents say there’s no harm in a few “good-natured practical jokes”, they don’t see a reason to ever be rude. I reckon I don’t disagree. Maybe that’s why I regretted how I handled things so strongly. 

I trudged up the stairs to my bedroom and flopped onto the bed. It had been quite awhile since I’d been sent up to my room like this. If I ever found myself in major trouble nowadays, I was much more likely to be sent to my father’s study, where he would decide what punishment to dish out. It was quite worrisome when that happened, it meant I was definitely in for it. It always did. When I was younger and took a trip to the study, there was a fair chance my dad would turn me over his knee. It was reserved for only the worst of crimes. A few years ago, I found myself in major trouble, and upgraded to a spanking with a worn leather slipper. I absolutely hated the bloody thing, so it only made an appearance a very small handful of times. Now? My dad was damn creative with punishments, especially when he’s had my mum’s input. So getting sent to my room was slightly embarrassing. Childish things like that were more Lily’s department, mainly for throwing a tantrum after ceasing to get her way. Which I suppose technically happened here, but it’s not as though I meant to lose my temper. I guess my want to go to the Hearthead concert so bloody bad overtook me. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I had to have been laying in my boring room for hours at this point. It was entirely preposterous- a boy needed his freedom! I was absentmindedly fiddling with a stray piece of thread on my Gryffindor pillow and staring at the ceiling when Curly charged into the window over my head. Finally, something exciting. I felt a surge of excitement wash over me when I realized who it was from - it was Vic’s owl. After all, she was my best friend. It had been that way from the day she was born. I quickly tore into the letter. 

Dearest Teddy, 

Daddy and Maman are being ridiculous. They said no to Hearthead! I’m their little girl, I’m too young, blah blah blah. I’m sick of it. They treat me like a glass box! Fifteen is plenty old enough to go to a little concert. So I’m determined to go without my silly parents’ approval. Somehow. Any chance you can pick me up on your broom outside my bedroom window at 9:30? You know I’m a terrible flyer, and the concert doesn’t start until late, anyway. I’ll have to be careful, but I think I can get away with it. Sneaking me out will be just like our Hogwarts adventures, I promise! 

Your best friend, 

Vic 

I quickly folded her letter and got fresh parchment and a quill out to respond, blowing a shallow breath through my nose. What was I supposed to do? Victoire was sneaking out and enlisting me for help, probably sure her “cool” Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny had said yes. I scoffed at the thought. If only. The letter felt heavy in my hands the more I thumbed over it. How could I not go to the concert after receiving an owl like this? I had two options: allow everyone to think I’m permitted to party at the concert and have the time of my life, or look like the world’s biggest mummy’s boy by staying home because my parents said no. Really, the choice was very obvious. It’s not like it would be difficult to get out of here. I had more than my fair share of experience from sneaking around at Hogwarts. 

It was decided. I was going to go see Hearthead if it was the last thing I did. And I was going to do it- with Victoire and my friends by my side, nonetheless. Grinning widely at the idea of tonight, I scribbled a response to Victoire letting her know yes, in fact, the Great Teddy would be there to save the day. I couldn’t wait to see her. Long, white blonde hair cascading down her back as long legs carried her out the window, excited to finally see me and take a ride on my broomstick- 

A knock on my door quickly wrenched me from my thoughts. I scrambled to tuck away Vic’s letter before unannounced eyes could glance over it. “Er, come in!” 

My dad pushed open the door, walking in and decidedly turning my desk chair to face where I was sitting on the bed. Here we go, I thought. It was time for one of Harry Potter’s famous discussions. I looked up to my father expectantly, as he stuffed his hands into his work robes. “I came up here because I wanted to have a conversation about what went on downstairs this morning.” I winced at the thought. The guilt pooling in my stomach after mouthing off to my parents had yet to vacate. 

“Right. Dad, I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things. I feel awful.” 

Dad gave me a purposeful look. “You’re right. You shouldn’t have said those things. I’m not fond of arguing with you, although it’s understandable we may come to disagree from time to time, but I certainly don’t appreciate that kind of cheek.” The floor was suddenly very interesting. He scooted the chair closer to my bed and tilted my chin up to meet his eyes. 

“I know you don’t, and I felt terrible afterwards. I just felt so angry when you and mum said I couldn’t go! Ollie, Max, and Piper all owled me telling they could last night, so I was already in a horrid mood when I woke up since they were lucky enough to already have permission.” 

Dad hummed his understanding. “Does that explain the unnecessary outburst at Jamie?” 

I gave him a small grin. “Maybe?” 

He laughed in return. “I think your brother enjoys trying to get on your nerves. Makes a game out of it.” 

I flopped on my bed. “He shouldn’t be so upset when I retaliate. I could magic him upside down and hang him from the oak tree by the lake if I really wanted to.” 

“Hey, that’s a good one! I expect you to use that threat the next time you want to throttle Jamie,” chuckled Dad, giving me a poke on the ribs. 

I sat up rigidly straight and saluted. “Yes, sir!” 

Dad smiled and joined me on the bed, laying a comforting arm around my shoulders. He was still so much bigger than me, much to my dismay. It made me feel like a child. “In all seriousness, Ted, I don’t want to witness any more of that behavior. My least favorite part about being you kids’ father is having to be firm, but I will if I know it will show you how to be the best people you can one day. Understand?” 

I nodded my understanding and leaned into my dad’s strong arms. I would never in a million years admit it, but I loved moments like these. I don’t remember my other dad, Remus, despite all the stories my family tells me, but I wish I did incredibly much. Harry, though? Despite my status as an orphan, he and my mum stepped up and chose to love me, to take care of me, to show me right from wrong even when it was difficult and I probably didn’t deserve it. I hated disappointing them like this, because I’m too appreciative of everything they’ve done. 

“And Teddy? I really am sorry we can’t allow you to see that band tonight. I know you love them, but your mother and I both would feel much more comfortable waiting until you were a bit older to go on your own.” 

“I get it, Dad. I do. Even if I hate it,” I shrugged. He squeezed my shoulder. 

“Though Ted, I really want you to know that many of the things you said earlier were not true.” 

That caught my attention. “Huh?” 

He continued, “Your mum and I happen to think a lot of you, despite the times I get 3 owls in one week from Minerva during the school year.” He winked at me. “I really do believe you are quite responsible for your age, are very trustworthy, and a good role model for your little siblings. Not to mention the cousins. They look up to you a lot. And I’m glad they do. Your mother and I are very proud of the man you’re becoming.” 

It was difficult to hide the blush creeping onto my cheeks. I’m pretty sure my hair turned red, too. “Really?” I wasn’t aware they thought so highly of me. Sure, they praised me bunches and told me how loved I was all the time, but my parents hadn’t ever laid it out how proud they were so simply. 

Dad smiled and placed a rough kiss on my head as he stood up. “Really. We love you lots, Teddy.” 

I tried to hide my wide smile. “Thanks, Dad. I love you too.” I paused. “Which, if you really think about it, is saying a lot, considering you left me to rot in my dumb room all day.” I nudged him playfully. 

He shot me a questioning look. “Ted, it’s barely noon.” 

“Huh? How? You’re dressed in your work robes, you’ve been gone all day!” 

Dad laughed a low chuckle. “It’s Saturday, son. I had a short meeting this morning with Kingsley, but am now free to deal with my crazy family for the rest of the day.” 

“Ohh...” 

“Don’t worry, Ted. I won’t forget how effectively this punishment worked on you, in case it’s necessary for the future.” 

“Wait no, Dad! That’s not what I meant!” I glared at him, trying to conceal my grin. 

But he left my room with a laugh and ruffle of my hair, softly shutting the door on his way out. Unfortunately, that left me with a guilty feeling in my stomach and Victoire’s crumpled letter I stuffed under my pillow. 

Which begged the question- after everything my dad said about how impressed and proud he was, how in Dumbledore’s name was I supposed to sneak out? Apparently, my parents thought an incredible amount of me! How could I just betray their trust without a second thought? 

Shut up, Teddy, you’re being stupid. 

No I’m not! 

You’ve snuck out at Hogwarts dozens of times. It’s just a change in scenery. 

Well this is different- 

Oh really, how? 

I dunno? It’s my parents, not dumb professors. 

You’re just a wuss. 

Ugh. Maybe I was being a baby. This wasn’t anything new. If I wanted to show Victoire I was an impressive bloke, as a friend of course, I would need to man up and do this. Whatever happened, I would need to stuff my stupid conscious aside and see Hearthead. 

Really, the solution to not disappointing my parents was quite simple-just don’t get caught. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The preparations were actually very easy once I had an idea planned out. My main objective was getting through my bedroom window stealthily and flying into the nigh unscathed. That part of the plan wouldn’t be a challenge, considering I inherited my dad’s skill on a broom. As much as you can inherit a trait from an adoptive parent, anyway. My broom was tucked away under my bed, concealed by a massive amount of other Quidditch necessities. 

The next part of my plan was increasingly tricky. I needed to head out at 9:15 if I wanted to successfully reach Shell Cottage at the confirmed time of 9:30. However, my parents didn’t expect me to go to bed until around 11:00 during the summer, so retiring for the night early was a bit suspicious. It would require some acting skills. Thus: 

“Mummyy,” I clambered down the stairs, clutching my stomach for dramatic effect. Calling her Mummy was a tad bit manipulative on my part, but I knew it would work like a charm. 

I was right. Mum immediately hopped up from her spot on the couch, curled up in a fluffy, magically warm blanket watching Muggle TV, and rushed over to me. “Teddy, baby, what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick? Is it your head? Your stomach? Your throat?” she asked frantically, laying her hand on my forehead. She frowned. “You don’t have a fever.” 

“It’s my tummyy,” I whined, embracing my inner-Lily, who just happened to race out of the bathroom then, hair wet from a bath. 

“What’s wrong, Bubba?” she asked adorably, big blue eyes full of concern. 

“Teddy isn’t feeling well,” answered Mum, running her fingers through her daughter’s hair. She turned back to me. “I want you up in your bed, now, love. You need your rest if you are sick. I’ll bring you up some potion.” 

I frowned. “But it’s only 8:30, Mum!” This needed to be believable, and real-life Teddy would definitely protest at such an early bed time. 

“Are you arguing with me, Ted?” She gave me a severe look while filing through the potion cabinet. 

“No, ma’am!” That part wasn’t acting. Fearing the wrath of Ginny Potter was always very real. 

“Then to bed with you.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Bed was precisely where I was now. My mother brought me a potion for my stomach, which I knew from Professor Zabini’s class wouldn’t negatively affect someone who was actually well. Genius, wasn’t I? I had been feigning sleep for 45 minutes, when I was really excitedly waiting for the clock to strike 9:15. Mum had already stopped in to check on me once, so I knew she wouldn’t bother coming in again. I had also locked the door that connected to the bathroom of my little brothers’ shared room- they were a disaster waiting to happen. 

At a few minutes till departure time, I quietly scrambled into my closet to get into my Muggle clothes. They were undeniably cool. A distressed Hearthead shirt, ripped black jeans, and a leather jacket. I even managed to rub some black stuff I found in my mum’s bathroom onto my eyes. She would go completely mental if she saw me right now, especially at the makeup. At least I looked like I could be a part of Hearthead! 

I stared hard at my appearance, shifting my hair from neon orange to lavender to dark blue. After searching all of my favorites, I settled on a bright turquoise. I knew Victoire would like it. I winked at myself to test it out. Yup- this was perfect. I rocked this hardcore Muggle look. 

The clock over my dresser finally struck 9:15. It was go-time. The adrenaline rush from the thrill of doing something I knew was wrong overtook me as I flicked off the bathroom lights and creeped over to my bed, quickly stuffing pillows under the sheets in what I hoped was a humanlike form. Staring at the faux-Teddy critically, I knew it would have to do. It was a believable enough back up plan, and I really need to leave. 

I quietly unlatched the window and inhaled deeply. Time to go see Victoire- and Hearthead, of course. For some reason, more nerves than I usually associated with doing something wrong were prickling over my skin. Whatever. Shrugging off all anxiety, I grabbed my Thunderbolt, and crawled through the open window. 

I landed on the willow tree that sat outside my room. Beaming brightly, I mounted my broomstick and flew off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: This is chapter 2! Hope you enjoy- and please feel free to comment! I appreciate any kind of feedback more than you know :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Night flying was exhilarating. I was so thrilled to finally see Victoire and take her to something I knew she would love so much-the Hearthead concert. Vic's notorious wild streak made for the best adventures- she could be absolutely intoxicating with her fairy laugh and bouncy hair. Maybe that explained the excitement I was feeling.

I tilted my broom up to brake when I arrived at her window at Shell Cottage, breathing in the salty sea air. It was a familiar place, a place I grew up and learned my love of beach and my best friend. Honestly, I was a bit jealous Victoire had such an amazing place to experience every day.

"Victoire," I breathed, rapping softly on the glass. The curtains ruffled to the side, revealing my best friend beaming at me from inside. She lowered her window down.

"Teddy!" Victoire exclaimed pulled me forward for a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around her dainty shoulders, which was a bit difficult on my broom, and she squeezed me in return. I took in her delicious, familiar scent of lavender and girl. "I've missed you!"

I pulled back. "I've missed you too, Vic! So much. It wasn't easy escaping my bonkers family," I confessed, taking her in. Her Muggle attire consisted of a sheer black shirt, silvery chains hanging from her hips, and wow, a leather skirt!

"Do you like it? I've been sneaking this stuff past Maman for weeks," Victoire giggled, twirling around in her pink room for me to observe.

"You look, uh, amazing Vic. Really." For some reason, I was finding it difficult to speak. Maybe I was sick? Maybe I had some sort of virus that tricked my brain into giving me a stuttering problem.

"Thanks! You don't look too shabby yourself, considering you're now an official chauffer."

I blushed. "I'm glad you think so. My mum would probably have a heart attack if she saw me like this," I responded, glancing down at my punk clothes.

She grinned. "Imagine how my father would react to this skirt!"

I shook my head quickly. "Uncle Bill would be more upset than when he caught us smuggling those ancient Gringotts artefacts from his study."

Vic shuddered. "Don't even remind me." Yes, I was very wary of Bill Weasley. The man had werewolf instincts and was thus extremely protective of Victoire. Apparently, his caution didn't work too well, Vic's favorite activity was pushing her parents' limits.

"Are you ready for this concert?"

"Are you kidding? I've been wanting to go to one for years!" she grabbed my hand and pulled herself onto the cobblestone edge of the window. I felt her hands wrap around my torso, holding tightly. "C'mon Ted! It's now or never."

I turned around and searched her face, and wow, how had I never realized she was so pretty? I mean, she's always been a nice-looking girl, but right now? Her cheeks rosy and eyes eager. She was beautiful.

"Ted?"

I coughed, "W-what, Vic?"

"Are you ever gonna go?"

"Right, sorry."

And I took off up into a sea of stars.

I mentally kicked myself on the fly over. She's your best friend. You can't look at her like that! And of course, I was right. Not only my best friend, but my cousin!

I reasoned with myself that the only reason I was viewing Vic that way was due to her being a teenage girl with her hands wrapped around my body. How could you blame me, I was a hormonal teenage boy, right? Any bloke with testosterone would do the same. Especially with a girl like Victoire.

We flew over London high up in the atmosphere, doubled with a Disillusionment Charm to steer clear of Muggle eyes. Talking was made impossible from the wind. Finally, we reached the venue Hearthead was performing at. I carefully maneuvered into a dark alley nearby where I knew no Muggle eyes could pry. Victoire and I hid my broom and set off to find our other friends- Ollie Humberstone, Piper Zhao, and Max Williams.

"Hey, Teddy! Victoire!" some voices shouted over the loud rumble of teenagers and young adults scattered everywhere. We whipped around and spotted the rest of our friends.

"Hey, mates!" I joined my friends, punching Ollie's shoulder.

"Teddy, you made it!" Piper exclaimed. She was Victoire's best friend, contrary to what many would assume. The two contrasted each other quite a bit. While Vic was more of a girly girl who hated flying and loved frills, Piper was rough and tumble, a Quidditch fanatic, and stuck to jeans and T-shirts 90% of the time. Opposites attract, I suppose. Tonight was an exception to Piper's rule against girly things. She uncharacteristically had a similar outfit to Vic's dressy grunge. I even think I spotted her sporting some red lipstick- it made her jet black hair shine.

The two girls quickly connected with each other, jabbering about each other's outfits and other typical girlish things of Victoire's expertise. They moved over to a shorter line, deserting us and giving them time to catch up on gossip. I watched as Victoire pushed a long strand of blonde hair back behind her ear, glancing at her happy pink lips moving up and down and up and down-

Suddenly, I noticed both Max and Ollie grinning at me suspiciously.

"Why are you both looking at me like that?"

Ollie shot me a knowing eye. "Oh, no reason, Teddy."

"Yup, nothing at all..." agreed Max.

I gave him a joking elbow to the shoulder "I know it's something," I said over the loud crowd of people beginning to file around us.

"Well, I suppose it is something." admitted Ollie, snickering to Max. "Is it true that Victoire took a ride on your broomstick?"

Max burst out laughing at the sexual joke. I rolled my eyes at my idiotic friends. "Shush, guys! She's standing right over there with Piper, don't be prats." I jabbed my thumb in the girls' general direction.

Ollie laughed. "Whatever, mate." His voice dropped a notch, harder to hear over the loud crowd in the line for tickets. "Look, it's okay to think a witch is good looking. I mean, look at Piper. She's hot."

That was new. Ollie had never had eyes for Piper that way in the past. Max and I glanced back at Piper. "Well, Piper has always been good looking. So's Victoire. It's nothing different," I reasoned.

"Ted, you've been with a million witches at school! You're the biggest flirt in any of the upper years. You could get Victoire if you really wanted to," Max insisted. We were getting closer to the ticket stand, now.

"This is different."

"How?" asked Ollie and Max in tandem.

I shrugged. "First of all, Vic's my cousin. That's weird. Second of all, why are you two so sure I like her?"

Ollie looked at me like I had grown a second head. "No offense, mate, but you're incredibly obvious. Even when you were with Amber Lincoln last year, who you claimed you were crazy about, you always talked about Vic. Who's not your actual blood cousin, I might add. You're not blood related, so nothing's weird. What's weird is when you stare at her with this dopey look on your face all the time."

I scoffed. "I don't do that!"

"Yeah, right," Max joked as we shifted forward in the line.

This was getting increasingly annoying. "For your information, she's my best friend. It's not weird to look at your friends," I huffed. Then I got an idea. "Say, Ollie, since you're suddenly the expert on witches, why don't you ask out Piper? You were talking about how pretty she was just a minute ago."

Ollie took a step closer to me. "Alright, Teddy. I'll make you a deal. If I successfully ask out Piper, you gotta give it a go with Victoire." Ollie stuck out his hand, typical goofy grin plastered on his face.

I considered it for a second. Would Ollie, who's never had a girlfriend, really ask out Piper? Piper who actively chose to be single and free? Maybe there was a slight chance in an alternate universe, but nothing more.

Then again, I didn't want to look like I was afraid. Resolutely, I reached out and shook my best friend's hand. "You're on."

Ollie grinned, shifting in the line to better be in view of where the girls were chatting. "Oi, Piper!" he called.

Piper and Victoire both halted their conversation and turned to us. "What?" Piper shouted.

I heard Ollie intake a sharp breath next to me. He seemed to gain a little composure after stuffing his hands in his pockets casually. "Wanna go out with me next weekend?"

Piper, who was normally queen of calm, cool, and collected, suddenly was blushing profusely. But Victoire suddenly linked hands with her, beaming, and muttered something in Piper's ear. Piper turned back to Ollie, giving him a small smile. "Yeah, okay!" she yelled back. The two suddenly turned back away from the rest of us, blocked by a large group of Muggles in black.

I, however, turned to face Ollie and Max, jaw dropped. "How the bloody hell did you do that so easily?"

Max rolled his eyes at my apparently obvious stupidity. "Teddy, we've seen you pull the same moves with tons of other girls! The only difference is you haven't even realized how hard you've fallen for Vic. I mean this in the least offensive way, mate, but you're completely blind to the fact you're head over heels."

"So now you have to make a move on Victoire," chimed Ollie. "I played my part in the deal, mate!"

I groaned. "Fine, you prats win. But I'm not tonight, we've gotta focus on partying to Hearthead!"

Max and Ollie agreed, and we finally met back up with the girls at the front of the ticket stand, who now each wore matching ecstatic looks.

The opening act was blaring from inside the venue. I could feel the heavy bass pumping into my veins. The five of us walked in and rushed to our seats, the buzz of euphoria in the electrified fans spreading all around. Our whole group was cheering at the top of our lungs when Hearthead came onto stage.

But something felt off. Would I even be able to enjoy the night with the sensation of butterflies swarming in my stomach at the mere thought of Victoire? Max was right- I didn't realize how crazy I was about this girl. But when I glanced over at her, I knew it was true. She was absolutely gorgeous- porcelain skin emphasizing long lashes and a button nose, icy blue eyes, and full lips. It was something more, though, that I wasn't familiar with. I mean, I had fun with plenty of pretty girls at Hogwarts-Amanda Seyfield, Macey Brams, and Jane Godfrey, to name a few. They were certainly nice, but something I couldn't quite place was missing. It was Victoire's fiery personality that made her different. She had the prettiest heart and could make me laugh like no other. And the stuff we did together- the girl was daring and did the craziest things.

As we shouted along to the music, it hit me. I really did have a crush on my best friend. I sighed to myself. Would she feel the same? Or did she just look at me like her childhood friend or even *blech* just her cousin? If she didn't reciprocate the feeling, I wouldn't know what to do.

Thankfully, the butterflies in my stomach evaporated with the music. Hearthead was amazing. Listening to their Muggle albums and CDs was one thing, but it was entirely different to feel the energy created in the venue as they rocked the house.

The best part was when Victoire grabbed my hand and started jumping along to the music with me in tow. It sent about a billion shivers down my spine to, but I shook off the nerves and danced. I even mustered up the courage to grab her hips and move along to the loud music with her. It was a good move, she loved it, and we ended up shouting the music even louder.

Ollie and Piper were suddenly very close to each other, too. There had to be something in the air tonight. Poor Max was left without a girl, but he entertained himself by waggling eyebrows at me at remotely any interaction I had with Vic, much to my annoyance.

Speaking of Victoire, I was really hoping she was picking up on my crappy attempts at flirting. I had a feeling it was probably a lost cause, which was so unfair. Normally I was as smooth as silk when it came to girls, but Vic suddenly had the ability to make my stomach do backflips.

Unfortunately, Hearthead had finished playing with a final "Thank you, good night London!" and was headed backstage. Sad the invigorating concert was over, my friends and I headed back outside into the cool night air.

We stepped out onto the entrance of the venue. "Wow," breathed Victoire, still panting from dancing.

"It was amazing," I said.

Everyone murmured their agreement as we broke into conversation debating the best moments of the entire show. Despite my issue with sneaking out, I was so glad I came. I truly did have a wonderful time, and it wouldn't have been worth missing for the world.

Plus, the situation with my friends had gotten a lot more interesting in the span of the two hour concert. For example, Piper was far more giggly than I had ever known her to be. Perhaps it was because she was hooked onto Ollie's arm. Ollie, of course, looked quite pleased with himself. Max and I shared a look and stifled a laugh. Did the deal to ask Piper out really cast Ollie under her spell so quickly? Apparently so, because Ollie announced he was going to take Piper home and waved goodbye. Max, not one to third wheel, quickly followed them out. That left just me and Vic.

Victoire and I. I and Victoire. The butterflies were back.

She beamed at me. "I had the best time."

"It was so cool seeing them in person," I agreed.

She dove into a story about how she thought the keyboard player had winked at her, and I laughed along. We chatted all the way back to the dark alleyway where my broom was located, and it felt surprisingly normal, despite the new feelings present.

"Teddy, it's really late," Victoire said as we approached the alleyway. "Didn't your parents give you a curfew?"

I blushed. I guess I forgot to mention I wasn't really permitted to be out either. "I snuck out," I admitted.

Vic gave me an unbelieving look. "Oh, really?"

I nodded. "You know how my mum is about Hearthead." I casually leaned onto the wall of the entrance to the alley.

"Aunt Ginny feels about the same as Maman does." Vic suddenly straightened her posture and flipped her hair, in a near exact replica of her French mother. "She's all, 'Mon cheri, thees ees not music!"

I laughed. "You play your mum so well."

"I've lots of practice," she grinned. Suddenly, her features lit up, and I knew she must have gotten one of her grand ideas for a scheme. "Hey, Teddy?" asked Victoire innocently.

"Oh, no. You've got that look on your face. Should I be worried?"

"Don't be silly," she said, nudging my shoulder and giggling.

"Alright. Let's hear it."

Vic smiled. "Since neither of our parents know we're out, what if we make the most of tonight?"

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we take advantage of being unsupervised and free, and explore this side of London, silly!"

Here we go again, I thought, glancing at my watch. 12:31 AM. Certainly late. I didn't really want to risk anything more- coming to see the concert was already pretty serious. And my parents would absolutely throttle me for walking around any kind of city at night. But Victoire had her hand on my chest and was looking up to me under long lashes and flushed cheeks and a teasing smile and before I could stop myself- "Of course, sounds fun!"

Merlin, this girl's wild side was eventually gonna get me killed.

After racing across a street full of cars, we found a little all-night café. I treated her to about the crappiest latte Muggle money could buy, and we both tried drinking it with straight faces (unsuccessfully, I might add). Thanking the sweet waitress, we raced out of the store, Vic pulling me into an old-fashioned book shop after quickly and illegally magicking the door to unlock. It was near impossible to hold in our silent laughter while exploring the dusty sets of antique stories, but we grabbed stacks upon stacks of strange Muggle book titles and curled up in a cushy corner to sort through them all. Our Aunt Hermione would be so proud. Neither Victoire or I were very big readers, but something about the quiet of a closed book shop made it much more intriguing.

"Vic," I whispered. "Vic!"

She was enthralled in whatever it was she was reading. "I'm a bit busy, Ted!" she responded, quickly turning her eyes back down to the book. I rolled my eyes and grabbed her hand to get her attention. She looked up at me huffily.

"I just realized what time it was!" I showed her my watch, and she looked at me with round eyes.

"No way, is it really that late?"

It was now 1:47 in the morning, and we were still sprawled across the floor of the musty antique book store. "Yeah. I've been having the best time, but I reckon we ought to get back."

Victoire gave me puppy dog eyes, but thanks to becoming immune to that look with practice from Lily, I shook my head. "We seriously gotta go home."

She looked like she was going to consider pleading for another second, but quickly offered a reluctant, "Fine. You're no fun though."

I playfully rolled my eyes, and grabbed Vic's warm hand to help her up.

We quickly scattered across the store to put books back in the general area of where we found them, and met up at the front to leave. Slowly checking for any Muggles who might see us exiting the shop, we ducked out of the door.

Once we were back out on the street with a bit of distance between us and the book store, something finally took over us and we exploded into a fit of laughter at our own adventure.

"I cannot believe we did that!" shrieked Victoire.

"I don't even like books!"

"Well, apparently you like them when you're with me!"

I coughed. "I would like just about anything when I'm with you."

Vic slowed down our amble on the sidewalk and looked up at me. "What?"

Did I really just say that? Shite, shite, shite! "I mean, what? I didn't say anything!"

She nudged my side with a giggle. "Teddy, I heard you perfectly clearly. You said you like everything when you're with me."

Oh. "You're my best friend. Of course I like everything I do with you."

"Oh."

I frowned. I thought that was a good recovery! "Why the oh? I just called you my best friend."

Vic kicked a rock ahead of us on the sidewalk as we headed back to the alley. "I know. It's just- we've always been best friends."

"Right." I murmured, now confused. "I thought that was a good thing."

She then started nodding her head quickly, suddenly more sure of herself. "You're right, Teddy. Of course it's a good thing! We've always been best friends, and we always will be."

I felt my heart sink a little. "Yeah, we always will be," I repeated.

We had a bit of a ways to go to the alley I knew my broom was hidden. I had to admit it. London was a little creepy at night. In Westminster, there was a good chunk of people sleeping on the sidewalk or occupying benches. I genuinely felt bad for their situation, but it also made me a little nervous knowing just about anyone could be out lurking around us. Luckily, the bright lights from different buildings around made walking more bearable, but Victoire still leaned in a bit closer to me whenever we weren't under a streetlight.

Vic and I had nearly made it near my broom, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I whipped around and stood in front of Vic. A ragged man stood in front of me. He looked to be an elderly Muggle, with yellow teeth and sparse white hair. He grinned at me, revealing a missing tooth. "Now, what are two young children like you pair doing out on a night like this?"

I glanced back at Vic, who looked unsure. I took a step back. "I'm sorry, sir, we can't really talk right now."

I made to turn away and start running to the alley, but the man grabbed my shoulder, suddenly angry. "Where are your manners? A pretty girl like her deserves a nicer lad, you know." He winked at Victoire, and I felt her shudder in my hand.

"Teddy, let's go," she whispered urgently.

The man took a step forward in Victoire's direction. "Now, gorgeous, what's the rush? You should be coming with me."

"Get away from me!" she shouted, pulling my arm.

The Muggle man clenched his jaw, and rushed forward on Victoire. I didn't know what to do, as he roughly grabbed her arm and yanked her in his direction.

"Vic!" I screamed, trying to pull her out of his grip.

He was too strong. Victoire struggles and whimpers to escape his rough hands only angered him, and he yanked her onto the ground.

Her scream set something off in me. Who did this man think he was? I itched to make a grab for my wand, but instead lurched my arm back and swung at him hard in his jaw. The creep staggered back, clutching his jaw and moaning as blood dripped towards the ground. I didn't have time to pay attention to his reaction, though. I lifted Vic from where he had dropped her and quickly drug her back to the alley.

When I was absolutely positive we were safe from anyone's eyes and completely hidden, I turned to Victoire. "Vic, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

I placed a hand on her distraught face. Her heart must have been racing. "It's just my arm, Teddy."

I glanced down, and felt my eyes bug out of my head at the sight. "Vic, it looks terrible! We need to get that fixed!"

The top of her arm was already bruised a deep purple in the shape of the man's hand's brutal grip. He must've sunk his nails in, too, because red scratches had drawn blood. It was now dripping to her elbow.

She shook her head. "It's fine, Teddy. I can't have Maman and Daddy find out."

I furrowed my brows and brushed her hair from her face. "Don't be ridiculous. It looks terrible, they'll see it anyway."

Vic eyed me pleadingly. "It hardly hurts! I'm really okay, I promise!"

"What about you? Not just your injury, are you okay?"

She looked down, then glanced back up at me. Her voice shrunk down to just above a whisper. "That was so scary. I thought he would get away with me until you punched him."

I glimpsed down at my already-bruising knuckles. "I wouldn't let that happen."

Victoire wrapped her arms around my shoulders in a hug, and I returned the favor. "Thank you," she whispered.

"It's my fault this even happened."

She pushed away. "Huh?"

"It was my fault for not getting you back to our broom earlier. We should've just went home."

Victoire scoffed. "Don't be absurd. We were having a good time, of course we should have stayed out. And I'll have you know," she glared at me, "I can make my own decisions."

"That's not what I meant. I just should have listened to my gut and left after the concert," I shrugged. "I just feel awful about your arm. I'm supposed to protect you."

She sighed and gave me a small smile. "Teddy, you can't save me all the time."

"Well, I should've this time."

Vic rolled her eyes playfully, grabbed my arm, and marched me to the broom. "I'll tell you what. Before you drop me off at Shell Cottage, you take me to your house and fix my arm up to your satisfaction. Would that help you feel better?"

I smiled in relief. "That's all I ever wanted."

The fly back to my house was brief. I didn't want to leave Victoire with a painful arm any longer than necessary, so I flew at top speed. When we finally reached my window, I leaned over to lift it up.

I frowned. "It's locked."

I could practically feel Victoire rolling her eyes behind me. "You're a wizard, are you not?"

"Oh, right."

But even when I murmured the Alohomora incantation, the tell-tale click never came. I tried again.

"It's not working!" I whispered frantically.

Victoire blew out a sharp breath behind me. "Alright, it's no big deal. We'll just have to go in through the back. You always keep an extra key there."

So we flew to the grass, hid my broom in the bushes, and tiptoed around to the door. I searched for the spare key under the rock it was kept under.

"Got it," I murmured.

I slowly turned the key into the lock, and carefully creeped in to the house. Victoire was on my tail. We were well-versed in silent walking from years of practice at Hogwarts, and even though we didn't have my dad's useful Invisibility Cloak, we still succeeded in reaching the healing cabinet in my family's kitchen.

She quieted a giggle as I shuffled through the billions of little jars we kept. My dad was an Auror, so Mum insisted on having every little potion or healing cream known to wizard-kind in the slight chance we would need it.

"Teddy, you were much better at cleaning that bloke's clock than healing me up," Victoire snickered.

"Shut up," I whispered, without any real bitterness to back it up.

"I'm just saying, grumpy pants!"

"Prissy princess."

"Stuck up git!"

I shushed her again, to no avail. Victoire struggled to keep her laughter down as I failed to find the bruise healing cream, even after plenty of searching.

"I'm serious, Vic, if my parents hear us, we're both dead!" I whispered.

The dark of the kitchen made it impossible to put my finger on the right medicine that would correctly heal Victoire. "C'mon Teddy. We're being near silent. There's no way your parents will hear us."

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice clear their throat from behind me. "I wouldn't be too sure about that, Victoire Gabrielle."

Startled, I dropped the container I had been holding as Vic and I shared a panicked look.

Bloody hell. We were done for.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note: Sorry to leave you on a bit of a cliffhanger. I hope you enjoyed and come back for more, I'll be posting chapter 3 soon. In the mean time, drop a comment and let me know what you think so far (good or bad, I wanna improve my writing lol).

**Author's Note:**

> Well? What do you think? I appreciate any reviews so, so much! Personally, I really enjoyed writing Harry in this-a lot of people think he wouldn't be the kind of father to handle much of the discipline, but I like to think he could step up! I guess I was kind of playing off the head canon I have going in my head where James survived and raised Harry, so that Harry had a father figure growing up. Maybe that influenced how I wrote Harry a bit, lol. Anyway, thanks for so much for reading! I'll be posting the chapter 2 within the next week.


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